The Conflict between Man and Elephant-A Case Study (Ulukkulama Village in Anuradhapura)

Abstract

The elephant, which is the largest territorial herbivore on the earth, make this island a paradise. The density ratio between man and elephant is 5000:1. The conflict between man and elephant is increasing daily particularly in rural areas. Elephants are forcefully entering villages and seeking food and water, because of the decrease of elephants’ habitat. They wander into villages and cultivated areas which were their previous habitats. The Ulukkulama village which is situated in Anuradhapura district has been selected as the study area in the research. The main objective of the research is to identify new mechanisms to avoid and decrease the conflict between man and elephant. The elephants, whose current habitats are located in Wilpattu National park are used to migrating into some villages which were their earlier habitats and they arrive from Willpattu National park in search of food from the village cultivations and destroy the entire cultivation in one night. Meanwhile several attacks were recorded in the area. Paddy cultivation is the most threatened crop in this conflict. It was recorded that the elephants prefer to have paddy. Field observations and interviews were used as data collecting methods. Locals in this area are implementing some tactics to get rid of the conflict. Noises, lights, flat forms on trees or hut, hooting, erecting electronic fences and keeping hakkapaus and gunpowder can be taken as the examples. Several recommendations have been made to mitigate the conflict between man and elephant. Erecting electric fences without blocking their traditional elephant corridors, dispelling elephants to new locations especially dangerous elephants (Horopathana wild elephant conservation and detainer centre-3500 Acr), paying attention to elephant corridors and opening it to elephants for their accustomed trails, educating people to plant lime and Hana as well as gathering beehives in locals’ houses are among them.